New Online Resource Tracks Trends in International Student Mobility: Data to Help United States Address Competition for Global Science and Technology Talent Pool

Article excerpt

NEW YORK

The Institute of International Education (IIE) announced the launch of a new online resource to track enrollment data on the millions of international students pursuing higher education outside their home countries. With support from the Ford Foundation, IIE's new Web-based resource provides the latest data from leading host countries, supplemented by other key data on economic and social development.

Intended as a resource for educators, policymakers, researchers and journalists worldwide, Project Atlas (www.atlas.iienetwork.org) collects and publishes data on destinations of international students and their places of origin, as a starting point for further analysis of the impact of student flows on national development issues such as workforce mobility, capacity building in higher education and economic development.

The data will be useful as the U.S. government and U.S. campuses rethink their strategic plans for addressing the heightened competition among host countries for the global science and technology talent pool.

According to IIE President Allan E. Goodman, "Global mobility in higher education is a driving force in national competitiveness and has begun to reshape economies. The goals of Project Atlas are to highlight the truly global impact of international educational exchange, draw attention to the global higher education economy and provide a context for discussion among people who are concerned with these issues."

While the United States has long been the leading host of international students, targeted recruiting strategies in other countries are changing global trends. …